Lesson Plan: Character Description (Age 4-5)
Objective: Students will be able to describe characters using basic adjectives and identify character traits in a short fiction story.
Materials: - Whiteboard or chart paper - Markers - Bible (optional) - Picture cards of different characters (e.g., animals, people) - Character description worksheet (individual activity) - Storybook with characters (e.g., “The Three Little Pigs”)
Lesson Duration: Approximately 45 minutes
-
Starter Activity (5 minutes): - Show the students different picture cards of characters and ask them to describe each character using one word (e.g., happy, tall, funny). - Write down their responses on the whiteboard or chart paper.
-
Bible Verse (5 minutes): - Optional: Choose a Bible verse that relates to character traits (e.g., Proverbs 16:32 - “Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.”) - Read the verse aloud and briefly discuss its meaning, emphasizing the importance of good character.
-
Main Lesson - Introduction (10 minutes): - Explain to the students that characters are the people or animals in a story. - Discuss how characters can have different appearances, personalities, and traits. - Show the picture cards again and ask the students to describe the characters using more than one word. - Write down their expanded descriptions on the whiteboard or chart paper.
-
Main Lesson - Character Description (10 minutes): - Introduce key words related to character description (e.g., kind, brave, funny, tall, small). - Explain the meaning of each word using simple examples and gestures. - Encourage students to use these words when describing characters.
-
Plenary (5 minutes): - Review the key words by showing the picture cards again and asking students to describe the characters using the new vocabulary. - Discuss any similarities or differences in their descriptions.
-
Individual Activity (10 minutes): - Distribute the character description worksheet to each student. - On the worksheet, students will draw a character of their choice and write or dictate a short description using at least two key words. - Provide support as needed, allowing students to express their ideas in their own way.
-
Group/Pair Activity (5 minutes): - Divide the students into small groups or pairs. - Give each group a storybook with characters (e.g., “The Three Little Pigs”). - In their groups, students will take turns describing the characters in the story using the key words discussed earlier. - Encourage them to support their descriptions with evidence from the story (e.g., “The wolf is mean because he tries to blow down the pigs’ houses”).
-
Link to Short Fiction Story (5 minutes): - Read aloud a short fiction story that features different characters. - Pause at certain points to ask students to describe the characters using the key words. - After reading, discuss the characters and their traits as a class.
Differentiation: - For students who need extra support, provide visual aids or prompts during the individual activity. - For advanced students, encourage them to use more complex adjectives or create longer descriptions.
Note: Adjust the duration of each activity based on the pace and engagement of the students.